Credit Equivalency Guide

Study Abroad Credit Equivalency Guide

This guide helps advisors determine the NAU equivalent for courses taken abroad. Note that many programs, such as those through USAC, have course information and transcripts issued using the US system and do not require credit conversion.

Course Approval Process

The general process for determining your coursework abroad is to:

Decide which courses you need to take at NAU by reviewing your degree progression plan and/or talking to your academic advisor(s).

With classes/requirements in mind, review the academic catalogs of your ideal program(s) abroad to find similar coursework. These catalogs can be found on each program’s brochure page or the program’s homepage.

Once potential equivalencies are found, please enter them into your “Credit Equivalency Form” found on your application page. When entering foreign courses into your "Credit Equivalency Form," list credits as they appear in your host university course catalog. When seeking approvals, keep in mind that the credit system in your host country may be different than NAU's. Please review the credit equivalency guide to learn about the credit conversion for your program.

Once your equivalencies are entered, contact the appropriate academic advisor to approve your entries in your application. When sending a request for approvals, be sure to also provide the course descriptions/syllabi to the advisor approving your entries. For a list of who to contact at NAU for approvals, view the Academics page. Be sure to send the course approval request email to the department contact listed that the class falls under at NAU.

We HIGHLY recommend getting approvals for twice as many courses as you actually plan on taking. Classes abroad may fill up or get canceled, so it is wise to have “back-up” equivalencies.

Major / Minor Credit

If you plan on applying coursework abroad towards your major/minor requirements here at NAU, you will need to speak with your major/minor advisor, respectively (or your Gateway advisor). If a course abroad does not match up neatly with a course at NAU, you can request to have the course count as a “Selected Topics” course (e.g., ENG199, ENG299, etc.)

Liberal Studies / Diversity Credit

You can also earn Liberal Studies/Diversity credit while abroad. There are two ways to get these approvals:

Liberal Studies Option 1: If you take coursework abroad that is a match to an NAU course already approved for liberal studies, you will need to have the foreign course reviewed by the department in which that class is offered at NAU. To see if your course abroad has a match at NAU, consult the NAU Course Catalog.

Liberal Studies Option 2: If you take coursework abroad specific to your host country, culture, or region which ALSO matches with the overall NAU Liberal Studies guidelines, but does NOT have an equivalent course at NAU, you may have it reviewed by your Education Abroad advisor. To review the Liberal Studies guidelines and Liberal Studies course listings, please see NAU’s Liberal Studies website.

*Please be aware that in order for “Global Diversity” coursework to be approved, it must have significant content related to non-Western cultures. The “U.S. Ethnic Diversity” requirement can only be satisfied if you are studying ethnic minorities of the US. If you are seeking Diversity credit approvals, please contact your Education Abroad advisor.

General Elective Credit

If you do not intend to apply credit from abroad towards major/minor/liberal studies/diversity requirements and would just like General Elective credit, please contact your Education Abroad Advisor for those approvals.

Things to Remember

Liberal studies/general education and minors are not a part of degree programs in most countries. This brings several considerations:

Typically, the 1st year of study in a foreign university will consist of a full time academic years’ worth of course work related to the student’s specific field of study (equivalent of 30 NAU credits). The second year of courses corresponds more closely to an upper division course in our system.

A 3rd or 4th year course is far more advanced than a 3rd or 4th year course in our system. Students should only attempt 3 or 4th year course work if they have a considerable background in that field and should be aware it will be more work than they are used to in the US.

The ECTS system is used throughout Europe and the tabs for many countries will refer you to the ECTS tab.

Approvals may be logged in the NAU Education Abroad website. Instructions on how to do this are available at NAU Education Abroad website in Approving SA Courses

Students participating in non-NAU programs will earn transfer credit. The exception to this rule is any USAC program, which will result in direct NAU credits.

From this page, select the school of interest and look for the “Academics” tab. This tab will provide an overview of options and considerations at that school as well as a link to that university’s course information. This will often be a better, more specific source of information than using the broader “country” information listed here.

European Transfer Credit System (ETCS)

Liberal studies course-work is not usually part of degree programs in Europe and most undergraduate degree programs are completed in 3 years. A second year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. Therefore a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course is equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd year course is equivalent to a 400 level course at NAU.

Argentina

Undergraduate programs are 8 to 12 semesters in length, leading to a degree of licenciado or a professional title. General education requirements are not used. Therefore a 2nd year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. This means that a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU. Undergraduate courses at the 4th 5th or 6th year level are generally not recommended for US undergraduates. Standard course-load is 4-6 courses per semester depending on the degree program. Credit hour information is generally not listed in course descriptions or information. Because programs are studied in set cohorts enrollment is measured only as “full-time” (taking the standard cohort) or not. Most courses are worth 3-4 NAU credits. Students will not be able to ascertain the credit hour value of their classes until arriving, registering, and finding the number of class hours required per week. English course options are very limited. Generally speaking, unless a student speaks fluent Spanish study options include either full Spanish language immersion at the intermediate or higher level or half-time intermediate language immersion and 1-2 courses taught in English. As offerings vary students choosing the second option will simply have to work closely with their academic and study abroad advisor to craft a customized program.

Australia

There are several different credit systems in use in Australia:

Charles Darwin University and University of Newcastle: 10 AUS = 4 NAU
James Cook University and Murdoch University: 3 AUS = 4 NAU
Flinders University, University of New South Wales, University of South Australia, University of Technology Sydney, and University of Wollongong: 6 AUS = 4 NAU
Curtin University: 25 AUS = 4 NAU
Southern Cross University: 12 AUS = 4 NAU

Students will have access to the degree program information in which the class is offered. Class level is determined by its placement within the degree scheme (e.g., a class taken in the 3rd semester is a second year class).

Liberal Studies coursework is not part of degree programs in Australia and most undergraduate degree programs are completed in only 3 years. Therefore a 2nd year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. This means that a 1st year class in Australia is usually equal to a 200-level class at NAU; a 2nd year class in Australia is usually equal to a 300-level class at NAU; and a 3rd year class in Australia is usually equal to a 400-level class at NAU.

Austria

All of NAU’s partner institutions in Austria use the ECTS system. For courses taken in English, please refer to the ECTS tab. For courses taught in German, the credit equivalency is 3:2 (3 host institution credits = 2 NAU credit).

Belgium

All of NAU’s partner institutions in Belgium use the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab.

Botswana

One credit at the University of Botswana is roughly equivalent to one NAU credit. Standard full-time course-load is 15 UB credits. Bachelor’s degrees at UB require between 8 and 10 semesters (120-150 units) of study. Undergraduate courses will number 100-599. Many degrees do require some elective and general education components. Therefore 100-400 level UB courses are similar to 100-400 level NAU courses. 500 level course, while technically undergraduate at UB, are equivalent to 500 level courses at NAU.

Brazil

Course offerings at FAAP in English are extremely limited. Unless a student speaks fluent Portuguese, study options include either full Portuguese language study or half-time language study and 1-2 courses taught in English. Most courses are worth 3-4 NAU credits. Students will not be able to ascertain the credit hour value of their classes until arriving, registering, and finding the number of class hours required per week. As offerings vary, students choosing the second option will simply have to work closely with their academic and study abroad advisor to craft a customized program. Contact the Education Abroad Adviser for Latin America for more information.

Bulgaria

Courses and credits at American U Bulgaria works like a regular US University on the semester system. One AUB credit is one NAU credit.

Canada

Most Anglophone universities in Canada use a course and credit system that is very similar to that in the US. Credit hour equivalency is 1:1.

Chile

Undergraduate programs are 8 to 12 semesters in length, leading to a degree of licenciado or a professional title. General education requirements are not used. Therefore a 2nd year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. This means that a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU. Undergraduate courses at the 4th 5th or 6th year level are generally not recommended for US undergraduates. Standard course-load is around 40 units per semester depending on the degree program. Credit hour information is generally not listed in course descriptions or information. Because programs are studied in set cohorts enrollment is measured only as “full-time” (taking the standard cohort) or not. Most courses are worth 3-4 NAU credits. Students will not be able to ascertain the credit hour value of their classes until arriving, registering, and finding the number of class hours required per week. English course options are very limited. Generally speaking, unless a student speaks fluent Spanish study options include either full Spanish language study at the intermediate level or higher or half-time intermediate + language immersion and 1-2 courses taught in English. As offerings vary students choosing the second option will simply have to work closely with their academic and study abroad advisor to craft a customized program.

China

The BISU program is a set language immersion program of 16 credits per semester.
Course-work at JUFE and PLU-Sichuan U is taught in English and in a manner very similar to the US in terms of course-load and course level.
Course-work taught in English at Southwest University is offered primarily in the Chinese Language and Literatures department. Offerings vary a great deal from one semester to another. Credit hour information is based upon contact hour information (15 class hours per credit) and students must be prepared to be flexible and the program of study will necessarily be customized based on that semester’s offerings.

Costa Rica

The NAU in Costa Rica program is administered by NAU and all course-work includes offerings already included in the NAU catalog. Please consult the programs track sheet for more information.

Cuba (USAC)

USAC course offerings are offered/taught in a manner equivalent to US semester system universities in terms of credit hours and course level.

Czech Republic

Masaryk U courses are offered in the ECTS credit system. Please see the ECTS tab for further information.
The USAC program course offerings are offered/taught in a manner equivalent to US semester system universities in terms of course-load and course level.

Denmark

All of NAU’s partner institutions in Denmark use the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab.

Estonia

NAU’s partner institutions in Estonia use the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab.

Fiji

The Fijian educational system is very similar to that of the UK. Most classes are worth 15 credits each and are equivalent to 4 NAU credits. Please see the UK tab for further recommendations.

Finland

All of NAU’s partner institutions in Finland use the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab.

France

All of NAU’s partner institutions in France use the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab.

Germany

All of NAU’s partner institutions in Germany use the ECTS system. For courses taken in English, please refer to the ECTS tab. For courses taught in German, the credit equivalency is 3:2 (3 host institution credits = 2 NAU credit).

Ghana

Students attending the University of Ghana must be prepared to be flexible with course choices, particularly if they plan to study in more than one discipline. Courses at the 300 or 400 level are equivalent to 200 level courses at NAU. Some 400 level courses may be more advanced. 500 level courses can be considered upper division, 600 level courses are quite advanced. Applicants should access the guide to course selection for U Ghana from the ISEP web page. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and read this document. Credit hour values for classes can vary a great deal but are roughly the same course load as US credits. 1 and 2 credit classes are common and students may find themselves taking a greater number of classes than they are used to at NAU.

Greece

The American College of Greece’s credit system and course level designations match NAU standards.

Guatemala

Undergraduate programs are 8 to 12 semesters in length, leading to a degree of licenciado or a professional title. General education requirements are not used. Therefore a 2nd year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. This means that a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU. Undergraduate courses at the 4th 5th or 6th year level are generally not recommended for US undergraduates. Most courses are worth 3-4 NAU credits. Students will not be able to ascertain the credit hour value of their classes until arriving, registering, and finding the number of class hours required per week.

Hungary

Iceland

India

The typical course load a U Hyderabad is 4 classes each worth 4 US credits. Credit equivalency is 1:1. The Academic Calendar is very different and students should be sure their intended semester of study will mesh with their needs. Registration does not take place until after arrival a U Hyderabad and final information on course offerings is not available until shortly before the term begins, so students should be prepared to be flexible. General education requirements do not exist. A second year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. Therefore a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU.
Students on the USAC program at Christ’s College will find their classes, course load and course levels similar to the US system.

Indonesia

Students generally take 4-6 classes per semester. One BINUS credit is just shy of one NAU credit. Generally students may count 1, 2 or 3 credits on a 1 to 1 transfer back to NAU but 4 credit classes should only transfer as 3 NAU credits. General education requirements do not exist. A second year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. Therefore a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU.

Ireland

Course-work in Ireland is usually listed both in ECTS and Irish educational system terms. Wherever both are listed NAU will use the ECTS information for transcript evaluation purposes. Please see the ECTS table for more information.

Italy

The NAU program in Siena includes course offerings but an NAU faculty member in residence that are part of regular NAU catalog offerings. Those courses taught at/by the Siena School for Liberal Studies are offered in a manner very similar to that in the US.

Japan

Courses in Japan are usually once per week for 90 minutes for the semester (15 weeks total). While in Japan this is generally considered 2 Japanese credits it is the equivalent of 1.5 NAU credits. Courses should be combined to be equivalent to 3 NAU credits and fulfil an NAU course. For example Japanese History I for 1.5 NAU credits can be combined with Japanese History II for 1.5 NAU credits to create a 3 NAU credit class such as History of Japan.

While abroad Japanese visas require students take a minimum of 7 Japanese courses (the equivalent of 10.5 NAU credits). To be considered full time at NAU students would need to take a minimum of 8 Japanese courses (the equivalent of 12 NAU credits).

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Students typically enroll in 5-8 classes per term which is the equivalent to 15-18 units (credit equivalency is 1:1). Many courses are offered as only 2 credits. Course-work can be either combined or split out to craft 3 credit equivalencies. For example World History I for 2 credits can be combined with World History II for 2 credits. This would create a 4 credit class that could be used for both a 3 credit World History class at NAU plus one “orphaned” credit channeled into another course combination or into study abroad elective credit.

Malta

Morocco

AUI does have a general education curriculum and 4 year degree structure. Hence course levels at AUI are very similar to those at NAU. In the course numbering structure the 1st number of the course indicates level and the final number indicates credit hours. Hence BIO 1234 is a 1st year course worth 4 AIU credits. Students generally take 5 classes per semester and a standard course-load is 17 AUI units. One AUI credit is just shy of one NAU credit. Generally students may count 1, 2 or 3 credits on a 1 to 1 transfer back to NAU but 4 credit classes should only transfer as 3 NAU credits.

Netherlands

All of NAU’s partner institutions in The Netherlands use the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab for more information. It is common for classes to be worth only 1-2 NAU credits. Course-work can be either combined or split out to craft 3 credit equivalencies. For example Cross-cultural Communication for 2 credits can be combined with Interpersonal Communications in the Netherlands for 2 credits. This would create a 4 credit class that could be used for both a 3 credit Intercultural Communication class at NAU plus one “orphaned” credit channeled into another course combination or into study abroad elective credit.

New Zealand

Students normally take 4 “papers” per semester which are equivalent to 4 credits each for a total of 16 units. Taking only 3 is permissible. General education requirements do not exist. A second year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. Therefore a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU.

Nicaragua

Students studying on the ISEP program in Nicaragua are more likely to find themselves taking a CUSE class which is where the majority of course-work taught in English is offered. CUSE uses a program structure similar to that in the US. The majority of classes are 3 or 4 credits, and this information can be found on the CUSE website. For non-CUSE courses, students will not be able to ascertain the credit hour value of their classes until arriving, registering, and finding the number of class hours required per week.

Norway

NAU’s partner institutions in Norway use the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab.

Poland

Portugal

South Africa

Courses at UJ are called modules. Module information is listed in each college’s (faculty) “yearbook.” Modules are often year-long but exchange students may take one semester of the course with permission. Students generally take 5 classes per term which are generally worth 3 credit per semester. Credit hour equivalency is 1:1. General education requirements do not exist. A second year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. Therefore a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU.

At NMMU, a credit is a unit of learning including time spent in the classroom and outside preparing for the course. Thus four (4) NMMU credits are typically equivalent to one (1) US credit. Each semester consists of at least 14 weeks of teaching. However, it is ultimately up to the discretion of your academic advisor how many credits will be awarded. Courses offered at NMMU typically range from 4 NMMU credits to 12 NMMU credits. You will select between 48 and 60 NMMU credits worth of coursework which will be anywhere from 4 to 8 courses. This equates to 12 – 15 credits within the US semester system.

South Korea

Students will find the courses taught in English in South Korea to be very similar in terms of course-load and level to the US. Credit hour equivalency is 1:1. However, it is not uncommon for classes to be worth only 2 credits. Course-work can be either combined or split out to craft 3 credit equivalencies. For example World History I for 2 credits can be combined with World History II for 2 credits. This would create a 4 credit class that could be used for both a 3 credit World History class at NAU plus one “orphaned” credit channeled into another course combination or into study abroad elective credit.

Spain

Regular university course-work in Spain follows the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab. Students can register for courses in the “licenciado” or the “grado” level.

Special course-work for foreigners often indicates contact hours and course level is either determined by proficiency for language courses or can be assumed equivalent to lower division for non-language courses. Occasionally a course will be offered in a specialty program that has content that is clearly upper division level. In this case it is acceptable to allow an upper division equivalent.

Students taking USAC course-work will find coursework the same as in the US in terms of workload and course level.

Sweden

All of NAU’s partner institutions in Germany use the ECTS system. Please refer to the ECTS tab.

Switzerland

All of NAU’s partner institutions in Switzerland use the ECTS system. For courses taken in English, please refer to the ECTS tab. For courses taught in German, the credit equivalency is 3:2 (3 host institution credits = 2 NAU credit).

Thailand

Courses offered at Thammasat University are very similar in terms of course-load to the US. Credit equivalency is 1:1. Instruction style is very different and students should aim for a lower course-load to allow for adjustment. General education requirements do not exist. A second year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. Therefore a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU.
Students taking USAC course-work will find instruction very similar to the US.

United Kingdom

Courses, called modules, are generally offered as 10 UK credits = 3 NAU credits, 15 UK credits = 4 NAU credits, or 20 UK credits = 5 NAU credits. Modules are often year-long but exchange students may take one semester of the course with permission.
Students will have access to the degree program information in which the class is offered. Class level is determined by its placement within the degree scheme (e.g., a class taken in the 3rd semester is a second year class).

Liberal Studies coursework is not part of degree programs in the UK and most undergraduate degree programs are completed in only 3 years. Therefore a 2nd year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. This means that a 1st year class in the UK is usually equal to a 200-level class at NAU; a 2nd year class in the UK is usually equal to a 300-level class at NAU; and a 3rd year class in the UK is usually equal to a 400-level class at NAU.

Uruguay

Undergraduate programs are 8 to 12 semesters in length, leading to a degree of licenciado or a professional title. General education requirements are not used. Therefore a 2nd year course is usually preceded by a full year’s worth (approx. 30 NAU credits) of coursework in the discipline. This means that a 1st year course is usually considered lower division; a 2nd year course equivalent to a 300 level course at NAU; and a 3rd course would be equivalent to a 400 or 500 level course at NAU. Undergraduate courses at the 4th 5th or 6th year level are generally not recommended for US undergraduates. There is no system of credits used in Uruguay. A full workload per semester for international students is four to five courses. Courses from the regular curriculum average about 45 hours per semester. Spanish language for foreign students is more intensive and is 67.5 hours per semester which would equal roughly 4.5 credits at NAU. English course options are very limited. Generally speaking, unless a student speaks fluent Spanish, study options include either full Spanish language immersion at the intermediate or higher level or half-time intermediate language study and 1-2 courses taught in English. As offerings vary students choosing the second option will simply have to work closely with their academic and study abroad advisor to craft a customized program.

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